The Foundation's program, Covering Kids and Families, was designed to increase the number of eligible children and adults who are benefiting from federal and state health care coverage programs.Policy makers soon will consider reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a critical component of the nation's efforts to expand and improve coverage for low-income children. Despite its immense, bipartisan popularity, SCHIP is facing a little-recognized fiscal crisis. As early as next year, 18 states are slated to run short of the federal SCHIP funds needed to sustain their existing programs. As a result of the close to $1-billion shortfall, more than half a million children are expected to lose coverage. The size of the shortfall in future years may be even greater. Most state policy makers and advocates know little of this pending fiscal crisis and other critical issues expected to emerge in the SCHIP reauthorization debate. This grant provides co-funding for a two-day meeting, Getting to the Finish Line, for state-level advocates working on expanding health coverage for children. More specifically, it will provide state-level advocates with ideas and tools for maintaining and building on the gains in children's coverage that have occurred over the past decade. The meeting will also be used as a forum to educate state-level advocates about trends in SCHIP and the issues likely to arise in the upcoming SCHIP reauthorization debate. Deliverables will include the meeting, a summary of state-based initiatives to expand coverage for children, a summary of the recent trends in children's coverage and an overview of SCHIP. This grant is consistent with RWJF's strategic interest in supporting activities that will promote stable and affordable coverage for all by 2010. This meeting will be co-funded with the Packard Foundation.